Yuan Sun

The electrical resistivity and acoustic properties of marine sediments are essential for understanding their physical and mechanical behavior. Over recent decades, significant advancements have been made in both in situ and laboratory measurement techniques, alongside theoretical models, to establish correlations between these geophysical parameters and sediment properties such as porosity, saturation, and consolidation degree. However, a comprehensive comparison of the advantages, limitations, and applicability of different measurement methods remains underexplored, particularly in complex scenarios such as gas hydrate-bearing sediments. This review provides an in-depth synthesis of recent developments in in situ and laboratory testing technologies for assessing the resistivity and acoustic characteristics of marine sediments. Special emphasis is placed on the latest advances in acoustic measurements during gas hydrate formation and decomposition. The review highlights key challenges, including (1) limited vertical resolution in in situ resistivity measurements due to probe geometry; (2) errors arising from electrode polarization and poor soil–electrode contact; and (3) discrepancies in theoretical models linking geophysical parameters to sediment properties. To address these challenges, future research directions are proposed, focusing on optimizing electrode array designs for high-resolution resistivity measurements and developing non-destructive acoustic techniques for deep-sea sediments. This work offers a critical reference for marine geophysics and offshore engineering researchers, aiding the selection and development of testing technologies for effective marine sediment characterization.

Shaft sinking in soft, water-rich strata frequently suffers from low cutting efficiency, cycle-time mismatches between excavation and muck removal, and weak system-level coordination. To elucidate the synergistic mechanisms governing excavation–muck removal interactions and to realize end-to-end performance gains, we investigate the East Ventilation Shaft of the Xinjie Taigemiao mining district as a representative artificial ground freezing (AGF) project. First, drawing on the mechanics of frozen ground and field monitoring, we establish a relationship model linking advance rate, drum rotational speed, cutting depth, and muck production, thereby clarifying why lower rotational speeds, moderate cutting depths, and rational traction reduce energy consumption and mitigate disturbances to the frozen wall. Next, for muck handling, we build a full-process discrete element method (DEM) model, integrate design-of-experiments with response-surface optimization to identify key factors, calibrate contact models, and select collection geometries. The results show that a graded-angle collecting structure improves pile concentration and discharge compliance; combined with a tiered chain-bucket–vertical belt–twin-skip configuration, it delivers matched cycle times and stable “gather–convey–hoist” operation. Finally, two-stage full-scale tests jointly validate excavation and muck removal, demonstrating that the proposed synergy model and optimized parameters sustain continuous, efficient performance across operating conditions. The study provides a reusable mechanistic framework and parameterization blueprint for AGF shaft design and construction.